BELVEDERE Heritage 176 70 cl.

With Belvedere Heritage 176 (2020 Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Finalist - 94 Points), Belvedere’s Master Rye Distillers apply fire to the rye before distillation, to further demonstrate its potential for nuanced taste. Belvedere Heritage 176 is quite simply a taste of vodka’s past. Up until the 19th century, Polish vodka-makers relied on the old technique of ‘malting’, using fire-kilned drying —a tradition which also naturally revealed rich and distinctive flavors. Over time, as the vodka category expanded, and technology evolved, these old traditions sadly faded out, and vodka became more associated with neutrality.

Belvedere challenges neutrality and believes that rye, the heart of our brand, delivers both distinctive taste and character. To demonstrate this further, Belvedere has revived this traditional malting technique which unlocks rich depth, flavor and complexity that would otherwise remain hidden in the rye. Rich, full-bodied and complex, with hints of honey, walnut and allspice, Heritage 176 is best savored over ice with a lemon twist. Discover the taste of vodka’s past.

TASTING NOTES

COLOUR: Crystalline, very transparent and shiny.

NOSE: Intense baked rye bread and walnuts, with notes of cream and honey, finishing with delicate allspice and sweet biscuit notes.

TASTE: A full-bodied, rich and velvety texture opens with a bold medley of toasted rye bread, brazil nuts and buttery toffee, accompanied by light creaminess and hints of sweet spice.

FINISH: Smooth, creamy and prolonged with complex layers of toffee, nuttiness and mellow allspice, perfectly balancing the sweetness of malted rye.